Hawaii (Hawaiian/Hawaiian English: Hawaiʻi, with the ʻokina; also, historically, the Sandwich Islands) is located in the archipelago of the Hawaiian Islands in the Pacific Ocean, 19°28′41″N, 155°32′47″W. Admitted on August 21, 1959, Hawaiʻi constitutes the 50th state of the United States and is situated 2300 miles from the mainland.

Geography

Hawaii is the only U.S. state that is completely surrounded by water. It is one of two states that does not share a border with another U.S. state (Alaska being the other). It is the southernmost part of the United States.

In addition to possessing the southernmost point in the United States, it is the only state that lies completely in the tropics. As one of two states outside the contiguous United States (the other being Alaska), it is the only state without territory on the mainland of any continent. It is also the only state that continues to grow because of active lava flows, most notably from Kīlauea. Because it has more endangered species per square mile than anywhere else, Hawaiʻi is considered the endangered species capital of the world .